5 Ways Dental Crowns Protect Your Smile
A dental crown is a false tooth that’s hollow on the inside so that it can fit around your existing tooth structure. The crown covers up your natural enamel, protecting it down to your gum line. Dental crowns are designed by dentists like Dr. Sarko to look, feel, and function just like natural teeth.
Whether you’ve got a large cavity, a broken tooth, or you recently had a root canal, a dental crown is often the best way to restore your tooth and protect your oral health. Let’s look at five ways that crowns help protect your teeth and keep you smiling brightly.
A dental crown is one of the best dental treatments for covering up and protecting damaged or decayed teeth. During the crown placement process, Dr. Sarko will remove the unhealthy enamel from your tooth. This creates a healthy, stable “platform” for your crown.
Then, he’ll create a dental crown made of durable, strong, and natural-looking porcelain. Porcelain is completely stain-resistant, cannot decay, and looks very similar to your natural tooth material. Once your new crown is bonded into place, it will cover up your damaged tooth down to the gumline.
With precise placement and proper at-home care, dental crowns can easily last 10-15 years. Your dental crown will protect the underlying tooth and prevent further damage, wear, and decay over its lifespan, leaving you with a dazzling smile for years to come.
If your old dental work wears down and becomes compromised, the underlying enamel can decay, eventually leading to a tooth infection. Along with inlays and onlays, dental crowns are a great option for restoring old dental work. They're an especially great option if you need to replace a large, old metal filling or an existing crown that’s become worn out over the years.
During your routine exam and dental cleaning, our team will check on your existing dental work to ensure it’s still in good shape. If we notice that your existing dental work is worn out or damaged, Dr. Sarko may recommend that you get a new dental crown to protect your smile. Thanks to CEREC same-day crown technology at Sarko Dental Associates, we can often replace your old or worn-out dental work in just one convenient appointment.
A protective dental crown is strongly recommended after you get root canal therapy. During a root canal, Dr. Sarko will remove the unhealthy, infected pulp from deep inside your tooth, then seal it to prevent bacteria and other debris from getting inside.
A root canal removes the source of the infection and ensures that your tooth will stay healthy after your treatment. However, your tooth will also be more fragile once the pulp is removed, making a porcelain crown an effective solution for protecting your tooth.
If you have a decayed, infected, or painful tooth, you may avoid chewing food on that side of your mouth. If the pain and discomfort are bad enough or if you have multiple unhealthy teeth, you may even be completely unable to eat certain tough or chewy foods like steak and crusty bread.
Unhealthy teeth can even prevent you from eating crunchy fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, carrots, and celery. These are jam-packed with vitamins that keep your teeth healthy. Not only that, but their tough skin and fibrous flesh also act as a sort of “natural toothbrush” that helps scrub away plaque and bacteria from your teeth.
Tooth restorations such as dental crowns can eliminate pain and sensitivity, strengthen your smile, and allow you to chew your favorite foods once again. This helps improve your lifestyle and overall well-being, and allows you to eat healthy foods that will help protect and preserve your oral health in the future.
If your tooth is compromised, it can become damaged by normal chewing and biting while you eat. This only gets worse if you tend to clench or grind your teeth either during the day or at night. In these cases, a night guard is a great investment to prevent teeth grinding, with or without a dental crown!
Oftentimes, a damaged or loose tooth can also affect the teeth around it. The pressure of your bite and even the position of your teeth can shift over time, causing premature wear and damage to the surrounding healthy teeth.
A dental crown is not only an aesthetic enhancement, but can act as a durable, functional addition to your smile, helping prevent any further wear and tear or shifting of teeth by acting as a tooth replacement.
If you’re worried about a painful tooth, come into our office for a consultation with Dr. Thomas Sarko and our dental team before the pain worsens. We customize your treatment to prioritize your oral health, lifestyle and budget, and smile goals. Our comprehensive menu of care includes dental fillings, root canal therapy, and CEREC same-day dental crowns. Contact our team online or give us a call to schedule your first visit. We can’t wait to meet you!
Call (480) 951-2782 or request an appointment online to set up your first visit. We’ll be in touch soon.
